The Gallant Captain
by Madamx28
Summary: How far is he willing to go to save her? To free her? JE Hint: It may help to read my other story titled Remember before you read this. I can't promise this story will answer all your questions, but that's what sequels are for, right?
1. Chapter 1

Disney owns it all.

**Chapter 1**

"Are you telling the truth?"

"Every word, love."

"It seems a bit...far-fetched."

"If you recall, you didn't believe me when I first told you about the chest of Davy Jones, nor did you believe Barbossa's tale of the Aztek curse either, yet both of those things ended up being true. It seems to me, you have a problem accepting the truth. Perhaps, the reason is because you have a problem accepting your _own_ truth, darling?" Jack moves in close and whispers this last part into her ear.

"If _I_ recall, you also did not believe in the curse, Captain Sparrow!" Elizabeth retaliated as she pulled away. He was trying to intimidate her, and it wasn't going to work!

"True enough. But tis not I who's in doubt now, aye?"

Elizabeth thought about this and realized that although Jack had his moments where the line between truth and lies was all but washed away, he _had_ spoke the truth on just as many instances as well. The problem was, in this case, the "truth" was so amazing that she wasn't really sure if she should believe him or not, for her _own_ well-being. What the real question is, she gathered, was whether or not she _trusted _him.

"And while we're on the subject of truth," Jack continued, "the truth is, the only way you're going to win back your darling, William, is through me. The truth is, he knows about us and what went on between us. He knows what you did. He knows what's in your heart, deary, even if _you_ don't want to face up to it. He see's your truth and he can't deny it. You could learn from him you know."

Painful as it was to hear, she knew Jack was right. Will hadn't spoke a word to her in some time now, and he could no longer hold her gaze. She had hurt him terribly. Betrayed him. Yet still she loved him and wished that she could turn back the clock and make things right again. It wasn't to be though. What was done, was done and there was no way to change things. He still loved her, she knew that for she could see it in his eyes, but sometimes love wasn't enough. Betrayal was a horrible thing for all involved and Elizabeth's heart hurt as a result of her actions for it's because of her actions that she has lost Will.

"Now then, you need to make a decision, _Miss Swann._" the last two words stung her, she knew why they were said and it made her cringe. "What will it be darling? I need your decision."

What did she have to lose? Nothing. If it turned out he was lying she'd be no worse off than she is now. If he was telling the truth, she'd have Will back and then she would be free. "A widow before she was married." she whispered to herself. She remembered the sailors on the Edinburgh Trader speaking those very words about the owner of her wedding dress...a spirit they believed... which she had left on the deck. She had to make her decision and knew that Jack was her only hope.

"Alright." she says weakly.

Jack grinned.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The Black Pearl sailed into the night, heading towards Isla Cruces, Elizabeth sat on deck looking out into the inky blackness of the caribbean night. There was no moon and no stars, a thick layer of clouds was blocking the sky and the night was deathly still. Their progress was slow, they had to rely on the occasional light breeze which was few and far between tonight, but their captain knew that whatever they were sailing into would wait for them. It was time.

Looking up at Jack standing at the helm, Elizabeth walked over and stood close beside him. He turned and gave her a quick, casual glance, then returned his attention to the horizon.

"How much longer?" she asked.

"About a day, maybe two. The wind will be with us in the morning." he stated matter of factly.

Elizabeth stood very still for a moment, then anxiously she wrung her hands together. Jack noticed the tension in her body.

"Something bothering you tonight, love?" he inquired.

"I...I have a request...if you don't mind? Her mouth was as dry as the sand on the beach. She could hardly speak, she was a bundle of nerves. Once again she would have to confront him with a subject that would put her in a position to choose if she should believe him or not. The thing is, she needed to know everything and this man standing beside her was the only one who could give her this information.

"Let's hear it!." Jack invited.

"Tell me the story. I'm ready to listen now." she stated firmly.

Jack turned to face her, he reached over and pulled her so that she was standing directly in front of him. Lifting her chin to ensure eye contact, he caressed her cheek as he spoke.

"Aye, I knew you'd come 'round" he whispered and smiled. "Come with me, darling. For this, we need privacy." He led her to his quarters and motioned her inside, before he followed he called for Mr Cotton and instructed him to take over at the helm, then he entered the room and closed the door. He lit a few additional candles, then walked over to his ample supply of rum (he had stocked up at their last port, he had a feeling Elizabeth would agree to his "proposal") and grabbed two bottles. Elizabeth had sat in a chair next to his desk but the captain made his way to the bed with both bottles in his hand. Stretching out in an upright position he motioned for her to come join him but she hesitated.

"Come now. Not being modest at this point, are we? If we're to get you reunited with your betrothed, William, then I don't see what the trouble is. Surely you can see the logic in that?"

Elizabeth did.

Slowly, she rose from her chair and joined him on the bed. She inched over next to him and he handed her a full flask, she uncorked it and took a drink.

"Before I start, answer me this dearest Lizzie. Just why do you suddenly want to know all the juicy details of 'ol Jack all of a sudden? You seemed quite satisfied with the condensed version earlier, why the change of heart?"

"I need to know you're telling the truth. You lie as much as you tell the truth, I need to know that this isn't one of those lies. I need to know if..." she swallows hard, "If I can trust you. If you won' t betray me."

Jack laughs out loud at this. "It seems to me, darling, tis' you who are the betrayer and I believe you know where betrayers go, or do you need a little reminder? I'm sure one of Barbossa's old crew can tell you. If it weren't for me, they'd be there right now."

Elizabeth looks away, a little frightened and very ashamed. Jack see's this and softens, just a little.

'Listen love, for what it's worth, I admire your strength in owning up to your shortcomings, otherwise I wouldn't be doing this." he says, studying her reaction.

She looks back at him and smiles shyly, then takes a small sip of rum.

"Well then! That being settled, I guess it's on with the story!" Jack said in an almost jovial tone.

Elizabeth sat very still, listening to his every word.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"The best place for a story to start is at the beginning" Jack announced, "however, for this particular story, it's really not necessary. You only need to know those facts which pertain to you" he gestured towards Elizabeth, "so I'll forego the formalities of my complete life story, if you don't mind?"

Elizabeth nodded in agreement, she really was in no position to be setting demands.

"Good!" Jack exclaimed "I can live with that...and so can you" he teased.

"I won't go into the long drawn out details of how I secured a position such as the one I hold, but let's just say it's because of this position that I'm practically immortal...not quite, mind you...but practically. I'm quite positive a woman of your educational background is familiar with the song bird that shares my name?"

Elizabeth nods.

"But are you familiar with the legend that goes along?" he asked.

Elizabeth frowned, thinking back to her lessons from childhood but couldn't recall any legends. She shook her head.

"Well, let me enlighten you, m'lady." Jack purred as he reached for her hand and cradled it in his own, gently stroking her fingers.

"You see, it's believed that said song bird has special powers and a very important job." he pulls her hand up to his mouth and gently glides his lips over the surface of her skin. "Sparrows are believed to embody the souls of the dead, they represent human souls. It's also bad luck to kill one and if one does meet it's end, the tree it lives in will also die." He parts his lips and runs his tongue over her fingertips, savouring her taste, her smell, her feel. Elizabeth feels herself warm to his touch but quickly pulls her hand away.

"I think I understand." she says coldly. "Captain Sparrow! If this is all an attempt to seduce me I suggest you stop right now! I shall not allow my love for Will to lead to my honour being stolen by the likes of a lying pirate!"

Jack raises his head, smiles and takes her hand back in his. "I assure you, love. This is all fact and in no way is this only an attempt to have my way with you. However," he continues as he places her hand back against his lips, "I should tell you that sparrows are also an attribute of the Goddess Aphrodite," he winks at her "and have a reputation for lasciviousness."

Elizabeth attempts to pull away but he holds her tightly to him. She breathes heavily, feeling herself responding yet again to his touch, the want for him growing greater with each graze of his lips against her fingers. He begins to place gentle kisses all over her hand, knowing that she's beginning to get turned on.

Jack stops, but he doesn't let go of her hand. He senses her growing lust and satisfied that he has worked her up enough, decides to continue with his story as if nothing has happened, leaving Elizabeth excruciatingly frustrated. He smiles at this then proceeds.

"They're considered the least of God's creatures, outcasts as it were. They go through life collecting the souls of those who have met their end, taking only those souls who would prove useful to them and leaving behind the ones that will hinder. Each soul that's collected enables them to attain a new skill, desire or trait but one must be careful what one picks up. Some souls are diseased and should be allowed to pass on to it's inevitable fate. Some souls are better left behind." He continues to hold and stroke her hand.

"Like Barbossa?" she asks.

"Aye, lass. Like Barbossa. A man not fit for either heaven or hell. A man destined to spend eternity in purgatory until someone is willing to claim his soul."

"Do you just take them...I mean...do the sparrows just take the souls or do the souls have to come willingly?" she questioned.

"They must come willingly, you can't force what doesn't want to be, however, there's far more souls clamouring to be taken then left behind to face the unknown. Far too many, I'm afraid."

"When do they collect them? The souls, I mean?"

"They must have a decision when the soul leaves the body. Death is a process and the soul leaving it's earthly prison is the first step, albeit an invisible one. If they are to give their soul to a sparrow, they must decide that immediately upon their death."

"Doesn't give them much time, does it?" Elizabeth asked.

"Most who opt to give their souls do so because they're either not ready to die, or fear the unknown because of possible repercussions from the choices they made while alive. Most only need that brief second to come to a decision. There's a few who do it for other reasons. Of course once a soul has agreed to go with a sparrow, never again will they have ownership of it. They'll be at the mercy of the sparrow as long as that sparrow lives, but I suppose for some, it's better than what lies waiting."

Elizabeth contemplates about what he is saying and glances down at her own hand. She realizes that she has been furiously clasping onto Jack's hand throughout the duration of his story and now finds it quite difficult to release her grasp. She does so, however, with a little concentration and pulls her hand out of his clutch.

"Have I quenched the lady's thirst for knowledge?" Jack asked rather seductively. "Or is there some other deeply rooted curiosity I can satisfy for you right here on this bed?

Elizabeth blushes, and turns away. "No thank you. That will about do it fo..." she stops short.

Jack however, finishes it for her. "For now." He reaches over and strokes her hair. "Aye, for now." he whispers.

He rises off of the bed and walks over to the cabin door. "I must return to my captain duties! Cotton tends to get a little wreckless at the wheel. He seems to revel in taking it for joyrides. I'd better get back." He opens the door but before he walks through it he turns and leaves Elizabeth with one final thought.

"Oh yes. One other thing about sparrows, love. Hearing a sparrow's call means rain. Just thought you might be interested, you can store it in the same place you store the rest of those useless facts one picks up in their life."

Then he steps out of the cabin and into the darkness of the night.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Do you understand what you're supposed to do, love?" Jack asked.

"I do." The words barely escaped her lips. "But what if he insists?"

"He won't. Now, here's my pistol, be sure to keep it close. Follow the plan and all will be well."

He admires her as she stands wearing the plum coloured dress that Barbossa had first introduced her to, and he thought she looked the part of a Goddess when she wore it. Jack had insisted that she wear it now.

They were anchored offshore and in the distance she could see the shores of Isla Cruces, she climbed into the longboad and started towards it.

After a few minutes, Elizabeth reached the sandy shoreline of the island, she pulled the boat up as far as she could, then began to make her way to the old church where Jack had instructed her to go. As she came into view of it, she saw two figures in the foreground, shovels in of their hands. Her breath caught in her throat as she recognized the forms immediately. Norrington and Will. Her heart pounding in her ears, she was going entirely on Jack's word now, she prayed he was telling her the truth. Norrington spotted her first and dropped his shovel onto the ground.

"Well, well, if it isn't Miss Swann. Come to visit your latest ex-fiance?"

The words were difficult to execute, but she struggled until they eventually released.

"Captain Sparrow sent me."

"I'm sure he did. Where _is_ the gallant pirate captain, anyway?"

"Offshore. He says he's come to offer you a deal."

Norrington laughs at this. "I knew it! Offer _me_ a deal? It seems to me it should be the other way around, but then again, I don't think I could come up with an offer that would satisfy him. Only a person with no regard for others could achieve _that_."

Elizabeth looks away, "he says if you're interested, you should meet him onboard the Flying Dutchman."

Norrington, seeing an opportunity, decides to take him up on the offer.

"Maybe I shall, Miss Swann. I'll quite enjoy watching the two of you suffer, each at the other's expense. Quite satisfying indeed."

"Gentlemen! To the boats! We've got a pirate to meet with, but first, I think Lord Beckett would be very interested in watching this first hand."

Norrington and the soldiers left for the longboats which left Elizabeth alone with Will for the first time. He had barely looked at her when she arrived, and even now he stood watching Norrington and his men launch the boats and sail to their waiting ship to collect Lord Beckett.

"Will..." Elizabeth said softly.

"How could you?" Will hissed as he whirled around to face her. "How could you condemn my father like you did? You _knew _I wanted to save him!" He glared at her, hate burning in his eyes.

"I'm so sorry. I...I thought.."

"Did you, Elizabeth? Did you think?" he snapped. "Yes, you probably did. You and Jack came up with this. Hand over the chest to Beckett and in return secure the freedom of you and Jack in the form of a Letter of Marque. Of course instructing him to stab the heart in order to rid the sea of Davy Jones completely, along with all the doomed souls onboard was an act of brilliance on your part. Selfish brilliance!"

"I simply instructed James to hand over the heart to Beckett in exchange for his freedom and the letters, I didn't tell Beckett to stab it!" Elizabeth retorted.

"Then who did, Elizabeth?"

She only had to think a moment and the answer came to her in a blinding flash.

"Jack! Why would he..." she whispered. Now she had to decide if she was still going to trust him, it took her only a moment to make her decision.

"I'm going to kill him!" Will angrily exclaimed as he started to push past Elizabeth and head for the boats.

'No." she ordered, "you'll do no such thing." She pulled out the pistol that Jack had given her, and aimed it at Will.

He chuckled, "Still protecting him, I see."

"Will, listen to me. You've got to trust Jack...and me. Your father will be free."

"And I'm supposed to believe that?" he scoffed. "Forgive me, if I find your request a bit difficult to accommodate."

"Please Will..."

But Will pushed past Elizabeth and started towards the shore, knife drawn and at the ready. He was furious and Elizabeth could see this, she ran up behind him in a final attempt to stop him. She steps in front of him and he stops dead in his tracks to avoid walking into her.

"You promised! You promised me freedom and now you're going to kill Jack after all the sacrifices we've made? I thought you were a good man?" she said angrily.

"That was before I realized that I was putting my own father in greater jeopardy. You lied, Elizabeth! You betrayed me! You knew the consequences of these actions yet you didn't say a word, and now my father is about to go to a worse place than he is now."

"You've got to trust Jack! You really..." But before she could finish Will interrupted again.

"The only thing I've got to do, is put an end to this madness. Now move out of my way!" he commanded.

"I'm sorry, Will. I'm holding you to your word. I know you're a good man, too." Elizabeth said firmly as she raised Jack's pistol. "I love you!" she says softly as tears fill her eyes. She squeezes the trigger.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Will was quick, he darted to the right and the shot went wide, missing him by a fraction of an inch but that was enough to save his life. Furious now at what Elizabeth had done he approached her in a blind rage lifting his knife as he walked towards her.

She had only one shot and she had missed, now she was terrified. The man that she loved was no longer recognizeable to her, all she could see was bitterness and he was heading straight for her. She turns to run but he's upon her, pushing her to the ground, he throws himself on top of her and she see's his face is twisted in hate.

"Will! No!" she screams.

But in his rage, he hears nothing and all he wants is revenge against this creature that has lead him astray and doomed his father to a fate even worse than the wrath of Davy Jones.

He raises the knife above his head and plunges it deep into Elizabeth's heart.

Norrington, Beckett and Jack Sparrow are aboard the Dutchman, the chest containing the heart sits on the deck in front of them.

"Now you assure us Captain Sparrow, as you like to be called, that by stabbing the heart, inside this chest, onboard this very ship, I will infact have full control of the seas?" Beckett inquired.

"That's what I've heard." was his cheery reply. "Now then, let's get this ceremony underway." He pulled out a knife and placed it into Beckett's hand but before he released his hold he reiterated his demands.

"A full pardon and a clean get away, aye? That's all I want, savvy?"

Beckett looked up at him and nodded. "As I said in my letter, you have my word."

"I'll trust you anyway." Jack shot back. Beckett glared in response.

"Lord Beckett! Do you really think this is wise?" Norrington interrupted. "Giving Sparrow his freedom just like that."

"Yes. Commodore. I really think it is!" He stated rather firmly. Reaching down, he turns the key that sits in the lock and gives it a half turn. Something shifts inside and the lid springs open. The three men peer in.

"Well now," spoke Beckett, "no point in putting things off any longer than necessary." He lifts the knife high above his head and brings it down quickly and cleanly, but before it has a chance to pierce the heart a sword blocks the blade's point of entry. Beckett looks up, quite annoyed and see's that it's Norrington preventing him from fulfilling his mission.

"Sorry." the Commodore says rather firmly "I simply cannot allow this man to roam free. I lost everything due to this pirate and now it's being thrown up into my face from the very man who sealed my fate. Drop the knife Lord Beckett, as you like to be called."

Beckett, looking more annoyed than ever, drops the knife onto the deck of the ship and suddenly finds the Commodore's blade at his throat. He looks terrified, he's a weak man when it comes to a battle and he knows it. He's helpless against the Commodore so he decides to use his only defense which is his power in the East India Trading Company, but before he has a chance, Jack Sparrow steps in.

"I don't think so Commodore, it was you who chose to release me thus breaking the law of your own choosing, do not blame others for your own undoing." Jack pulls his own sword and points it towards Norrington, who in turn, becomes angered by what he has heard coming from the pirates mouth.

"What I did was a favour to you, and now you try to put the blame on me?"

"Favour or not, Commodore, you did it of your own free will. Besides, did you set me free for my sake?...Or for Elizabeth's? Be honest with yourself just this once, you did it for her, to make her happy hoping against hope that small gesture will win you favour in her heart. It didn't work though, did it?"

Norrington looks slightly annoyed but decides to amuse the pirate with an answer. "Indeed, what I did was for Elizabeth, however, her choice in husbands certainly does not concern nor bother me in the slightest. Can you say the same?"

Jack smiles, he was hoping Norrington would bring this up.

"Oh really, Commodore? If we were talking about the boy I'm sure it wouldn't bother you, but we're not talking about the boy, are we? Once again, be honest. You know why you hate pirates, ...actually, to be more precise, you know why you hate me. It's because she loves me, she has always loved me and you know that, you've always known that. I'm the one she wants and that eats you up inside. Consumes you. If she married the lad, it would be of little consequence, but choosing me only enhances your failure to protect her. When you hate me, you also hate yourself, isn't that right, ...James?"

Norrington bristles, then explodes in anger advancing upon Jack with the full force of his blade. Jack, anticipating this, manages to block his advance and continues to fight offensively due to the Commodore's blinding rage which at this moment is rendering him incapable of a good fight. As Jack continues to thwart off Norrington, he see's the Pearl coming up on the starboard side and Barbossa along with Tia Dalma are on the deck, he also see's the ritual is in it's final phase and looks over to Beckett who is standing numbly watching Jack and the Commodore.

"Stab it!" Jack cries towards Beckett. "Stab it, now!"

As Jack says this, the ritual on the Pearl reaches a fevered pitch and Tia Dalma, who has now been revealed as a vessel for the Goddess Calypso, grows to an enormous height then shatters into tiny crabs that fall to the deck of the ship and scurry into the sea. Calypso, has now been freed of her human bonds and is once again returned to her proper place. At the same moment Beckett realizes that Jack is speaking to him, reaches down and picks up the knife, once again he raises it high above his head and once again is stopped. This time it's Will who steps in, he has finally arrived on the deck of the Dutchman, just in time to stop Beckett from stabbing the heart and taking over as the ships captain. He lunges forward and stabs Beckett in the chest, but misses his mark just slightly and pierces his lung instead of his heart. Beckett drops the knife and falls to the deck, slowly bleeding to death. Satisfied that Beckett is no longer a threat Will looks down into the chest and see's the heart, he raises his blade and stabs it. Upon contact the organ shatters then turns into many small crabs very much resembling those which came forth from Calypso's human body, and like her prison, these crabs also ran to the edge of the deck and fell into the sea. Confused, Will looks around him and notices that some changes have taken place on the ship, the walls are no longer moving with dead seamen, instead they have been converted into old, rotting wood and nothing more. The Dutchman was no longer a ghost ship or a ship harbouring souls that were afraid to die, it was instead, dying itself. By releasing the souls it had imprisoned it no longer had a life of it's own and Will realized the ship would soon return to the depths of the ocean, this time it would remain there until the sea claimed it entirely. Angered by this he steps between the dueling Norrington and Jack and immediately knocks the Commodore's blade to the deck then turns and thrusts his blade to Jack's throat.

"What happened to them? What happened to my father?"

"He's not here?" Jack asked in surprise. "He was just here a minute ago, I'm sure of it!"

This fuelled Will's rage, how dare this pirate trivialize the death of his father, but then again, he was in cahoots with _her_ wasn't he?

"You tricked me! You killed my father!" Will snarled, then drew back his sword to stab Jack's throat, but Norrington steps in and blocks the thrust with his own sword that he retrieved from the deck floor.

"I'm afraid I still can't let you do that, Mr Turner. This man belongs to me. He's the cause of all of my grief and I intend to use him to get my life back, even if it means taking his. I can't very well let you step in and do a job that was clearly intended for me."

Will and Norrington begin to fight, Jack see's the diversion and runs to Beckett's side, he's so close to death that Jack can see it in his eyes which also reveal that he is terrified of the unknown. Jack kneels down and watches him draw his last breath, then quietly speaks.

"Yes, I thought you might be a coward." were the pirate's only words.

As Jack watches Will and Norrington fight, he notices that Barbossa is boarding the Dutchman at the stern of the ship.

"Right on time, mate." he whispers to himself.

Barbossa comes upon the dueling men and proceeds to direct the fight away from Will and towards himself, the Commodore is easily swayed and soon finds himself battling it out with the pirate. Will, has now turned his attention back to Jack, slowly approaching him with his blade.

"Easy son. Don't do anything you'll regret." Jack warns as he slowly backs away as Will approaches.

"Anything I'll regret?" Will is dumbfounded. He can't believe what he is hearing after everything that has happened. He backs Jack up against the side of the captain's quarters and demands an answer.

"Where's Davy Jones? And what happened to my father, you haven't answered my question satisfactorily yet!" he said angrily.

Around them the shadows were starting to grow long, the sun was sinking below the horizon, the first twinkling stars were shining above them. Jack became serious, deadly serious.

"He's gone son. They're both gone. Davy Jones has been reunited with his beloved and your father's soul has been saved and has moved on from this realm, onto a better place no doubt. He was a good man."

"You're lying! My father can't be dead." Will spat.

"His time in this world has ended and he's moved on to another. He's safe now, you can rest easy."

"But I hardly knew him. I could have saved him if...if..."

Realization dawns on Will again.

"If you and Elizabeth hadn't murdered him!" his words sounded like poison.

"No son. We saved him and now he's free. Which reminds me, just where did you leave Elizabeth anyway?" Jack offers a knowing wink and Will is taken aback by it. How could he know? How could he possibly know? The churchyard is in the centre of the island, too far away to see clearly. But deep down, Will knew that Jack was very much aware of what had happened to Elizabeth, and it frightened him.

"Tell me, did you bury her in that open grave?"

"No. I left her in the field." He looked down, ashamed of what he had done.

Behind them, Norrington was facing a losing battle. Barbossa was a much better swordsman than he ever could be, and he found himself losing his footing as well as his hold on the sword. He knew he couldn't hold out much longer, but was determined to see it through as long as possible.

"C'mon son, admit it to ol' Jack, eh? Admit you had to kill her because she had betrayed you, you had to because deep down, in the darkest corner of your heart you know that you're like me."

"No" Will replied as he felt the heat rising with Jack's words. "I'll admit no such thing."

Behind them, Norrington had lost the battle. One swift slice to his forearm and he had dropped to the deck. Game over. But instead of killing him, Barbossa merely walked towards Jack and Will.

"It's easy son, just say the words and you'll feel a thousand times better. It's the opportune moment."

"I really don't know what you're wanting me to admit to. That I'm a bad person? I won't admit to that! You and Elizabeth both betrayed me, eye for an eye is how I see it." he shot back angily.

"Come now, you know that's not it William. Here...I'll say it for you then. You, are a pirate! Simple as that. You're a pirate and you'll just have to live with that, I'm afraid."

Hearing those words angered Will and immediately he went after Jack, lunging at him with his sword, but before he met his mark Barbossa stepped in front of Will's sword and took the full brunt of it in the heart. He collapses to the deck at Jack's feet. Jack kneels down at Barbossa's side and whispers something into his ear, a faint light surrounds the two forms and then everything returns to normal. Jack rises and looks at the stunned Will Turner.

Jack speaks to him.

"If a man as evil as Barbossa can ask for forgiveness from Captain Jack Sparrow, than surely this won't be such a task for you. Your turn next, William."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Will was terrified. He searched the deck and saw that he had killed two more people, he could barely remember why. Everything was becoming a blurr and he felt the panic in his heart rising to an alarming level. He had to do something fast. It was then he noticed that Barbossa was carrying a pistol, he slowly began maneuvering himself so that the pirate's body was in back of him. Jack didn't seem to notice.

"Why would I need to ask a pirate for forgiveness? I haven't done anything wrong" he stated nervously, as he inched very close to Barbossa's extended legs.

"Still in denial, I see. Really Will, I think you need to come clean as soon as possible. Time grows short and Elizabeth needs you."

This last part stunned Will, he hadn't expected Jack to say such a thing and the shock of it sent him sprawling over Barbossa's legs without him having to act it out. Of course in a way it was ideal because it looked authentic, however, since it wasn't executed as planned he had a bit of an awkward moment before he was able to reach for the pistol. Luckily for him Jack was slow to respond and he was able to grab the pistol even if it was clumsily acquired. Once in his hand he quickly brought himself to his feet and pointed the weapon at Jack.

"All that's required here is to rid the world of lying, deceitful pirates, and I'm about to take care of the last one right now." He clenched his teeth and started to put weight on the trigger, his aim was going to be true, he would be sure of that.

A shot rings out and it reaches its mark.

"I'm sorry Mr Turner, but I told you that Jack Sparrow was going to die at my hand. I had to step in. Drastic situations call for drastic actions."

Will meets Norrington's gaze in disbelief, he hadn't realized that the Commodore had a pistol with him in place of his rifle and did not expect any interference from an injured man who was clearly in a tremendous amount of pain and on the verge of passing out because of it. He opened his mouth to respond, but the Commodore's shot had went straight into his lungs causing the blood to bubble up into his mouth making it increasingly difficult to breathe and speak. Will let his head drop to the deck, realizing that he would be dying on the same ship his father had, but also realizing that maybe he had been wrong about Elizabeth. Maybe she really didn't know what she had done to his father. She seemed to genuinely love him and as Will thought about the times they had spent together he also realized that although they had their moments of tension, she had always been adament about Will's safety. He knew deep in his heart that Elizabeth would never have done what she did if jack had not lead her astray just as Will had been lead now. It was all so clear, but now he was dying and she was already dead, how he wished he could take back all the angry words and tell her he was sorry. A tear spilled out of the corner of his eye as he thought about what he had done to her, behaving rashly and acting out in the way he did not only did he end up taking her life, but he also took two others and now his own was taken from him. He knew what was waiting for him in the afterlife, and he knew Elizabeth wouldn't be there with him.

"I'll be taking that, what with you in your weakened state, Commodore." Jack announced as he reached down and took the gun from Norrington's grasp before he had a chance to use it again.

"Now why don't you be a good little soldier and take a nappy?"

The suggestion of a nap along with the knowledge that he had no defenses was enough encouragement for him to close his eyes and sleep. The sleep would help him, it would slow down his heart rate and reduce the bleeding. He would get the pirate later. Oh yes, that much he would. But for now, dreams called him and the sweet darkness of sleep swept over him taking away the pain of his body and his soul.

Jack was glad Norrington had succumbed to slumber, Jack wasn't really in the mood to save him. He quickly bandaged the Commodore's injuries with some torn clothes and once he was satisfied the bleeding was under control, he turned his attention to Will.

"It's time, William." he whispered as he knelt beside him. "I'll forgive, if you will. Eye for an eye as you say."

In life he had vowed to never turn pirate, but in death he chose to give his soul to one. Of course there was a condition, but by now Will Turner had no problem accepting it. His fate was sealed and he willingly gave his soul to Captain Jack Sparrow.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

She hears her heart give a final beat and then there is nothing but darkness. She opens her eyes and finds herself sitting in the rain. She's wearing her wedding gown yet there are no guests present and no groom waiting to whisk her away. Elizabeth Swann is dead and now she sits in a purgatory of her own, awaiting a trial for the wrongdoings in her life. She may not have known that stabbing the heart would separate Will from his father forever, but she did know that giving the heart to Beckett would all but eliminate any possibility of Will saving him. He hated her now and she supposed that attempting to kill him was enough to push her fate over the edge so that she sat here, awaiting a decision about her soul. But then again, she knew that Will would never forgive her, she knew what the outcome of her trial would be and she knew that soon she would be joining Barbossa's lost crew. All that was horrible enough, but what hurt her most was realizing that she was wrong in what she believed was Will's feelings toward her. It was now painfully obvious that Will no longer loved her and she would have to live with that for an eternity.

The rain continued to fall, it seemed to come down harder with each passing minute and the cups that were placed on a table for guests who she knew would never arrive, began to overflow. Sheet music for a musical selection that she knew would never be played scattered in the strengthening wind and the only thing heavier than her now soaked wedding dress, was her shattered spirit and condemned soul. It would be easy to blame Jack Sparrow but what would be the point? She made these decisions herself knowing full well the implications of what she was doing so there was nobody to blame but herself.

Lightning flashes and thunder rolls, heavy dark clouds are in her horizon and she lifts her face towards the stormy sea. In front of her the alter sits, like bars preventing her from ever being free or happy again. Perhaps she's already in hell.

Her eyes continue to scan the horizon, keeping a weather eye as Will had told her to do so long ago when she sat behind a different set of bars, but that was indeed, a long time ago.

"Will" she cried softly and hopelessly as lightning illuminated her face, her eyes dark with pain her voice full of desperation.

She didn't know if she was mourning for herself and her wretched soul, or for the love that she had so carelessly let slip away.

Suddenly, from behind her she heard a noise, the sound of a door being forced open and chains rattling. They had come for her and she knew where she was going to be taken.

"Miss Swann!" she heard someone call.

She turned and saw a figure standing in the archway, she felt her stomach flutter with nerves. She threw down her bouquet and a small white rose broke off and rolled away, but Elizabeth didn't notice. She quickly ran up to the man who was wearing a dark cape and a large hat and looked up into his face.

"Will?" she questioned in a whisper of a voice.

"Aye, tis me." he said with a slight smile.

"I'm so sorry!" she sobbed as she reached up and wrapped her arms around him. "I shouldn't have done it, I know that now. I'm so sorry! I won't ask you to forgive me for I know that's impossible, but I just need you to know that I'm so very sorry."

Will reached up and gently removed her arms from around his neck and pushed her away.

"Elizabeth, listen. I came here for only one reason. To save you. I told Jack when I first met him that I would die to save you, and I'm a man of my word so here I stand. However, I'd also hope that you'd be a woman of your word as well and do me the honour of becoming my wife as we had planned?"

Elizabeth was taken aback.

"Does this mean..?"

But before she could finish, Will completed the sentence, "You asked me this once before and I failed to give you an answer, I hope I can make up for it now. I forgive you, Elizabeth."

Behind the couple the soldiers had been standing, waiting with shackles ready to take her to her fate, but now they wouldn't be needed anymore. All that was required was for Will to say those three words and once they were said, there was no taking them back. They slowly filed out of the churchyard and Elizabeth was finally free.

"Oh, Will" she whispered, but Will continued.

"I forgive you for everything. I forgive you for keeping my medallion, I realize now that you did it to protect me and for that I'll always be grateful. I love you, Elizabeth! Can you ever forgive me?"

Will gathered her up in his arms and gazed at her beautiful face.

"I already have" she said with a smile, "And now I look forward to taking you as my husband. We shall be married as soon as we're back in Port Royal!" Elizabeth said excitedly.

Will's face dropped.

"No, you don't understand. I can't come back with you. I gave my soul to Jack in order to save you, it no longer belongs to me."

Tears sparkled in Elizabeth's eyes as the words hit home, she fully understood the implications of what Will was saying.

"So I'll never see you again?" she choked

"You'll always be here" he says and places her hand over his heart, giving her a small smile. "Now, we must head back to the Pearl at once, it's waiting offshore for us. Jack shall marry us and then you will return with him to the world of the living."

Elizabeth nodded and tears began streaming down her cheeks. Will guided her out to a waiting white stallion and placed her on it, then mounted the animal himself and returned them both to the beach. Once on the shore they dismounted and climbed into a longboat and began rowing it towards the waiting ship.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

The ceremony was quaint. Elizabeth wore a simple, white dress and held a small bouqet of red roses but to Will, she was dressed as beautiful as the Kings and Queens of the world. As promised, Jack performed the ceremony before returning to the living world and offered up his cabin as a wedding gift along with a beautiful golden chalice which he insisted was a gift for the bride.

"I don't want to leave you" Elizabeth whispered once they were inside the darkened room, lit only by soft candlelight.

"Nor do I want to leave you, but we have no choice I'm afraid" was Will's response.

"But there is a choice. I could stay and let Jack have my soul too. Then we could be together forever and not have to worry about the pain of separation ever again."

"Elizabeth, listen to me. It doesn't work that way, you know that. Jack can't take your soul, you know that, and if you stay here we'll never be together again. At least this way you'll be in my heart. You must go back with Jack."

"I don't believe that. Jack's a liar, I'm sure he could make this happen if..." But before she could complete her sentence, Will pushed her gently onto the bed and softly kissed her lips, quieting her voice.

Elizabeth responded and began to kiss him back, sinking into the warm bed, smelling Will's scent in a way that she had never really smelled him before. Then she realized that what she was breathing in was actually a mixture of Will and Jack. Jack's scent was on the bedding and in the room and upon inhaling again she discovered that she found it quite mesmorizing and seductive. She stretched her arms up over her head and ran them across the cool, smooth hardness of the intricately carved headboard, enjoying the soft curves of the etching on the pads of her fingers. She continued to linger there when suddenly she felt a cool sensation around her wrist, followed my a familiar clink that she associated with another seductive kiss. Opening her eyes, she saw that Will had chained her to Jack's bed and she looked at him questioningly.

"I know what you're thinking Elizabeth, and I know what you're going to do. It's wrong, I can't let you compromise yourself for me, you don't belong here and everything we've done thusfar will have been in vain."

Eyes wide, she looked at him, amazed by what he had done. She had indeed planned on staying with Will but she had underestimated his perceptive abilities. Jack had been right about him, Will did see her truth.

Eyes brimming with tears, forced to accept her fate, she nods and closes her eyes sending a single tear trickling down her cheek. He kisses it away and strokes her face, admiring her beauty, moving his head slightly he kisses her lips, then draws away and stands next to the bed.

"Goodbye, Elizabeth. I'll always love you. Be free."

He opens the cabin door and steps out, leaving her for the last time.

"Will!" she crys as she squeezes her eyes shut, not able to stand the pain of watching him step out of her life forever.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Elizabeth's eyes fly open from the most terrible dream she has ever had. Many times she had dreamt of the infamous pirate captain, but this time her dreams had included William Turner as well. How odd.

The room was very dark and for one brief moment she thought that perhaps she wasn't alone. A single candle was lit casting long shadows that danced gently on the walls of her chamber, she was certain she had put out all the candles before falling asleep, but she had taken to reading late into the evenings making it entirely possible that she fell asleep before doing so last night. She did find it peculiar though, that her book had been put away in the nightstand drawer and although her candle was still lit, there was very little wax drippings left from a night of burning.

Rising from her bed, she walks over to her bureau and opens the drawer. She reaches inside and pulls out a sealed parchment but before she has time to remove anything more she becomes aware of a movement behind her.

"Are those letters for us?" said a voice from the darkness.

Letting out a small scream, she jumps and the letters drop to the floor. The intruder, who has a slight grin on his face, rises from the chair beside her bed and walks over to her. He reaches down and picks up the letters, satisfied that it's what he thinks it is, he places them in his coat pocket.

Before Elizabeth has time to respond there comes a knock on her bedroom door, the intruder bolts to the window, moves the curtains aside and quickly climbs over the edge. Was she still dreaming or had she been seeing things? It couldn't be? After all this time?

"Elizabeth? Are you alright? Are you decent?" It was her father, he must have heard her scream and came up to see what the fuss was about.

Quickly, she ran to the bed accidently knocking over the chair that the intruder had been sitting in just moments ago. She grabs her robe and hastily throws it on, glancing towards the window in hopes that the intruder is gone. She see's nothing and responds just as the Governor opens the door.

"Yes, yes!" she cries breathlessly, trying to compose herself. "I just had a dream, I'm quite alright."

"Still abed at this hour?" The maids open the curtain and let the light shine through the open window. "It's a beautiful day."

Elizabeth squeezes her eyes shut from the pain of the sudden sunlight, but allows herself a quick glance to the horizon and although it's sunny and warm, she can see the first traces of rain clouds forming.

"I have a gift for you."

Elizabeth peers in the box the maid is holding and see's a plum coloured dress, quite lovely, with an open bodice, black lace insets and cream coloured lace on the sleeves. She pulls it out of the box and hold's it against herself.

"Oh, it's beautiful!"

"Isn't it?" her father agreed. "It once belonged to your mother, I thought she'd like you to have it."

Her dream long forgotten, she quickly runs behind the dressing screen along with the maids to assist her, and begins to undress.

"My mother? Then I shall only wear it during our most special of occasions!" she says with a smile on her face, feeling all the more closer to the woman that she could barely remember.

"Actually, I, um...I had hoped you might wear it for the ceremony today."

"The ceremony?" Elizabeth asked, confused about what her father was referring to.

"William Turner's promotion ceremony."

"I knew it!" Elizabeth replied playfully. Her father always had something up his sleeve.

"Lieutenant Turner, as he's about to become. A fine man don't you think? He fancies you, you know. Elizabeth? How's it coming?"

Elizabeth steps out from behind the screen, and what a vision she is for his eyes.

"Oh, Elizabeth, you look absolutely stunning. It suits you."

"Will Turner? The blacksmith?" she asked surprised.

"Yes." her father explained. "After our recent rash of pirate attacks on Port Royal, Mr Turner's brave and successful actions have earned him a permanent spot in the king's navy along with a comfortable promotion onboard the Dauntless. Admiral Norrington insists he will no longer be requiring Mr Turner's services as the king's blacksmith, and would find him much better suited as a captain aboard a ship of the fleet."

" I see..." she responded but before she was able to continue her thoughts she was interrupted by one of the servants.

"Milord, you have a visitor"

The governor nods his acknowledgement and leaves the room, the maids in tow.

Elizabeth, alone again in the room, walks back to her bureau and opens the drawer. This time, she removes the liner and reveals a dusty, gold, pirate's medallion on the end of a gold chain. She swipes her thumb over it and thinks back to her childhood.

"Elizabeth!" her father calls after her. Startled for the second time this morning, she hastily drops the pendant inside her bureau drawer and hurries out of her chambers, she pulls herself together at the top of the stairs and begins to descend them, gracefully.

"Ah! There you are! Admiral Norrington is here to accompany us to the ceremony." Governor Swann explained.

"James! It's so good to see you! I am to understand that this a very big day for Will thanks to your influence" Elizabeth said happily.

"Yes. Indeed it is, Miss Swann. Although he earned the honour himself" Norrington answered with a hint of propriety.

"James, how many times must I ask you to call me Elizabeth?" she says teasingly.

"At least once more, Miss Swann, as always."

"There. See. A fine sense of propriety. He's a proper role model for young Mr Turner. There you are." Elizabeth's father hands her a parasol and the three of them walk out of the mansion and board the waiting carriage.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Will Turner's promotion ceremony was exactly as Elizabeth expected it to be, a long, drawn out, boring event that left her on the verge of falling asleep standing up. She was happy for Will, he had changed dramatically from the young lad that had been pulled from the water 8 years prior. He had indeed grown into a fine man, his handsome good looks attracted the attention of more than one local tavern wench, as well as the many aristocrat's daughters who frequented these social occasions. Elizabeth was the envy of those girls, for what they longed for, she already had...the heart of William Turner. She and Will had grown up together, and although they were friends in childhood, they drifted apart in their mid-teens mostly because Elizabeth found her interests laid down a different path. Will was brave, strong and gallant but Elizabeth never outgrew her fascination with the sea and piracy, and as she grew older she found it calling her more and more with each passing day. Will remained devoted to her throughout, and he worked hard at fighting against the one true desire that lay deep in Elizabeth's heart. She often wondered if he'd fight so hard to end the reign of pirates if he knew her dark, little secret, but she wasn't about to risk it all to find out.

The hot sun of the caribbean beating down on her, she thinks of the irony of her attending this event. She loved pirates, and the man who loved her hated them, yet here she stands out of duty, and urgence from her father, to honour the man who was responsible for trying to end her dreams. She stifles a small, ironic giggle but quickly composes herself when her father shoots her a warning glance.

The ceremony coming to a close, Elizabeth was feeling quite frustrated and hot, she see's Will accepting congratulations from her father and the Admiral, and a long line of people await to extend the same. He see's her looking his way and politely excuses himself from the crowd and approaches her.

'Oh great!" she says to herself. "Now what do I do?"

She offers him a smile and wonders if she should congratulate him or slap him.

"May I have a moment?" he requests of her.

She guides him to the edge of the battlement, wondering just how she's going to get herself away from him without embarrassing anyone in the process.

"Uh, you look lovely, Elizabeth." he says nervously.

Elzabeth smiles and nods politely, wishing he would just get on with it.

"I apologize if I seem forward, but I must speak my mind. This promotion..."

"Lieutenant Turner!" Admiral Norrington interrupts.

"Miss Swann, please forgive me. I must speak with the Lieutenant, somethings come up that he should know about" the Admiral explains.

Will looks back at her and kisses her hand "Do forgive me, Elizabeth?"

"Of course, Lieutenant" she smiles back.

Will returns her smile then turns and joins Norrington and a group of soldiers at the far end of the battlement. Elizabeth turns her attention to the sea and scans the horizon.

"What are you up to?" she asks quietly.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

This is the part she hates the most. The waiting. Being the daughter of the Governor, she can't simply waltz out of these events as soon as they're complete. Oh no, she must stay until her father is ready to leave and right now he was over with Will and James, discussing whatever it is that Navy men discuss. Her thoughts drift to the intruder that appeared early in the day. He was terribly bold, but then again, so was she. The clouds were building even more now and she new that there would be rain by this evening, she could feel it in the wind. She inhaled a deep breath of sea air and it filled her lungs and revived her in a way nothing else could, now, if only she could have some fun. Fun meaning, of course, looting and pillaging and ravaging, just as the song from her childhood says. She smiled at the prospects of this but was immediately broken out of her thoughts by the approach of her father.

"Elizabeth, it's time to leave. Word has it that there's a possible pirate attack tonight and I want you to be ready to leave for the safety of the fort should one occur." Governor Swann stated.

"Oh father, really. Why do you worry so much about me? Surely there's no benefit in kidnapping a Governor's daughter when there's so many lovely, shiny things in our house to divert their attention" she joked.

The Governor, however, did not find her comment in the least bit amusing and chastised her immediately for the outburst.

"I will not have my daughter at risk! I do wish you'd take these matters a little more seriously in light of past events! Now wipe that smirk off your face and come along!"

She begrudgingly followed him to the waiting carriage and climbed in. They sat in silence as the carriage climbed the hill, she was in no mood to talk. Once they arrived back home Elizabeth went straight to her chambers as instructed by her father, to await word of future actions. The sun was beginning to set and the clouds were growing ever the more menacing and again she found herself waiting and with this came boredom, she decided to change into her nightclothes and crawl into bed with a book. A pirate's book to be exact. He had sent it to her, when she was younger and she had memorized every story to heart, but still she loved to glance through the pages and imagine herself in these very adventures. Tales of cursed Aztek gold, the heart of Davy Jones, sea monsters, gods and goddesses, oh how she yearned to be a part of it. She immersed herself so deeply in these stories that she didn't notice it had grown quite dark outside, the storm clouds progressing at quite a speed. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a breeze pick up and blow her curtains open, reaching the candle it too is blown out. She got up out of bed and put on her robe, looking out to sea she saw the first flashes of lightning from the approaching storm, and in one of the flashes she saw it. The Black Pearl. Her breath caught in her throat and her heart was beating so loudly that she thought for sure she could wake the dead. Tonight was the night he had promised to her, oh so long ago. So that's why he was here, he had come back for her afterall, keeping his word that he had given to her.

She knew she would have to be quick if she were to get away. He had already taken the letters from her so that was no longer a concern, but she'd have to be ready to leave once he arrived at the house. She had already decided to leave most of her belongings behind, she'd have no use of them in her new life, but there was one thing she just couldn't abandon...her mother's dress. Changing out of her nightclothes and into the dress, she already begun to feel butterflies gathering in her stomach. When she had seen him this morning she didn't have time to register just why he was here or what he was doing. As a matter of fact, she found it quite astounding she even recognized him after so long, but his voice and shadowed face were unmistakeable.

Running quietly down the stairs in the darkened house, she saw not a soul. Looking at the clock she noticed it was very late, and assumed her father was probably asleep knowing that their safety was in the capable hands of Lieutenant Turner and Admiral Norrington. Opening the mansion's front door, she stepped out and ran straight into a couple of pirates that made her freeze on the spot. She had dreamed of these two! Not last night, but she had dreamed of them enough to recognize them at first sight and the memories she had of them were not good. She had to get away.

"Where do ye think ye be going, poppet?" the shorter of the two questioned as he blocked her path.

"I...I..." then she quickly turned and ran back into the house, the two pirates in pursuit. She managed to get out of their sight long enough to hide away in a closet. She wondered why neither her father or the servants had woke up upon hearing the noise, then presumed her father had allowed them the night off while he kept watch with the Admiral. " A strange thing for him to do" she thought, considering how protective he had been of her earlier.

"We know you're here, poppet. Come out...and we promise we won't hurt you. We will find you, poppet." the shorter pirate said softly, but menacingly.

Elizabeth stands quietly in the dark closet, hearing the voices of the two coming closer and closer to her hiding place. She has to think quick and act fast, for she knows she's about to be discovered.

They open the door.

"'Ello poppet."

"Parlay!" Elizabeth cries.

"What?" the taller of the two asks, puzzled.

"I invoke the right of parlay. According to the Code of the brethren, set down by the pirates Morgan and Bartholomew, you have to take me to your captain."

"To blazes with the code!" cries the taller of the two. The shorter one looks at him like he's daft and interjects angrily.

"She wants to be taken to the captain" he barks, then turns to Elizabeth and softens his tone and expression "And she'll go without a fuss. We must honour the code."

She's lead through the streets of Port Royal and for one fleeting moment she see's her opportunity to escape these pirates that have come to kidnap her. To her left she see's Will Turner running through the streets, heading down towards the docks. She opens her mouth to call out to him, then thinks twice and says nothing, no longer resisting the men who are pulling her towards a waiting longboat although she cannot understand why she chooses to do so. She climbs in and as she approaches the massive black ship she looks up at the maidenhead and realizes that she recognizes that from her dream as well. She looks down and catches her breath, wondering what exactly she has gotten herself into.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

The governor had been sleeping soundly, so soundly that he hadn't heard a thing when the old, weathered pirate with a blue and gold macaw on his shoulder, climbed in through the windows of his chamber and shackled both his hands to the headboard. He only awoke when his mouth was being stuffed with a piece of cotton to prevent him from speaking, and even at that he barely got a glimpse of the person who did this. He saw a shadow, mostly, and a bird. They both moved swiftly and quietly and now he would lie tied to his bed until he would be discovered in the morning. Immediately his thoughts went to Elizabeth, was she alright, were they tormenting her or perhaps kidnapping her...or worse. He couldn't bare to think of what they would do to a beautiful girl who came from such wealth, quality and power and his thoughts were too much for a man his age to handle. He passed out from worry and shock and would not awake until morning with the Admiral standing over him, calling him by name and delivering some rather unpleasant news.

Admiral Norrington and Lieutenant Turner were very much wide awake and guarding the fort while the Governor slept shackled to his bed. No pirate was going to ransack their town and William Turner was willing to fight to the death to ensure that. He had been raised as a blacksmith but had also done military training at this very fort, he very much wanted to impress and marry the Governor's beautiful daughter and no pirate was going to take that away from him. For half the night things stayed calm, a distant storm growing ever closer, thunder rumbling in the distance growing louder with each flash of lightning. It was in one of these flashes that they spotted the longboat approaching the Interceptor, it's occupants grabbing at the ropes and obviously attempting to steal said ship.

While Norrington assembled the men and provided them with instructions, Will headed down to the docks, alone. Running through the darkened streets of Port Royal, he didn't see the two pirates who had Elizabeth Swann at their mercy, nor did he see the other ship that was shadowed against the horizon, waiting to take a certain governor's daughter away to a new life. All he saw, was a group of pirates preparing to steal a ship of the fleet...the fastest ship of the fleet actually, and not once did it occur to him that these pirates came from a much larger ship. The same ship that was their for his beloved Miss Swann.

By the time he reached the dock the Interceptor was on it's way out of the harbour, although it was dark he could make out silhouettes of people on board, as well as a few voices which drifted mockingly back to shore. One of the voices was that of a woman and it sounded as if the others aboard were calling her captain, a stunning revelation for the young Lieutenant, he had never heard of a female captain before. He stopped at the end of the dock and fired his rifle towards the departing vessel but it was of no use, the ship continued to quietly glide away from him at an amazing speed. She really was the fastest ship of the fleet.

Norrington and his men arrived at the dock shortly after the Interceptor was out of firing range, the two of them stood and watched knowing there was little they could do.

"First light we set sail on the Dauntless" ordered the Admiral.

"Shouldn't we leave now? If we hurry we can catch them and..."Will replied enthusiastically.

Norrington rolled his eyes at the inexperienced young Lieutenant and pointed out to him an obvious fact that he had overlooked in his plan.

"Lieutenant Turner, any action on our part now would only hinder our efforts. The Dauntless is a much larger ship which must be navigated through the shoals just offshore, a risky venture even in ideal conditions. The Interceptor has no food and very little supplies onboard, which means she'll have to stock up before she goes anywhere of any great distance. The nearest island is Tortuga but she won't be there until morning at the earliest, it'll take her awhile to stock up, you can't just sail into a port using a ship of the fleet without drawing attention to yourself, not even in Tortuga. They'll have to anchor offshore and take the longboats in, which will give us plenty of time to reach her...safely."

Will, disappointed that he's being prevented from taking immediate action, nods and walks away, Norrington watches after him and remembers a time when his own youthful exhuberance matched that of Lieutenant Turner's. The boy would learn though, he'd have to learn or risk being killed with such a gung-ho attitude. In matters of piracy and lawlessness, patience and well thought out actions must always be used.

Neither Admiral Norrington nor Lieutenant Turner ever caught a single glance of the black-sailed ship floating on the horizon. The Interceptor was too much of a diversion for them to look outwards to the horizon and even if they did happen to glance upwards, it would have been almost impossible to see the dark ship against the starless sky. The lightning flashes and rolls of thunder began to subside as they returned to the fort, it looked like the storm would be missing them afterall. Will stood at the edge of the battlement and frowned as he noticed the clouds were actually retreating towards the horizon now, instead of moving inland as before.

'A change in the wind" he mumbled to himself.

"What was that, Lieutenant?" Norrington asked of him.

"Just noting how the weather is suddenly changing. The storm appears to be moving away from us."

"Yes. A good thing too. Soon it will be light and we'll set sail immediately. Before we go, we should stop by the governor's mansion to ensure his safety, although I'm quite confident none of the pirates got any further inland than the docks. Come along, Lieutenant."

Reaching the mansion Norrington knocked on the door but got no response, he thought it strange that nobody would answer as usually the servants are awake quite early to prepare the household's breakfast. The Admiral took it upon himself to open the door and let both himself and Lieutenant Turner in. Scanning the foyer, nothing was immediately wrong or out of place, but a brief glance into the dining room and he could see that a closet door had been left wide open in a usually impeccably orderly room. He frowned and called out for anyone but got no response, quickly the two men headed up the stairs to Weatherby Swann's chambers and upon opening the door was greeted with the passed out form of the governor.

"I'll check on Elizabeth!" said Will, with urgency in his voice.

As he approaches her chamber door he notices that it's open just slightly, frowning he gently taps on the door as he calls out.

"Elizabeth? Elizabeth are you alright?"

He slowly pushes open the door and begins to enter 'Elizabe..."

Inside the room now, he see's that she is gone but there's no sign of a struggle, although looking towards her bureau he notices that the drawer has been left open just slightly. He walks over and looks in, something golden catches his eye and he reaches in and picks it up.

"Elizabeth" he whispers to the empty room.

He returns to the governor's chamber where Admiral Norrington has just now been able to awaken Weatherby Swann.

"They've taken her! They've taken Elizabeth!" he cries.

Both Norrington and Governor Swann look up at him alarmed.

"Are you quite certain, Lieutenant?" Norrington warned, not wanting to upset the governor any more than he was.

"And how do you know? If you have any information concerning my daughter, please share it!" Governor Swann pleaded.

Will opens his hand and reveals the gold pirate's medallion that flashes as it sits in the first rays of morning sunlight sprayed across his hand, all three men turn their gaze to the window and out to sea.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Elizabeth boards the Black Pearl under the cover of night, it all looks so familiar to her and she feels as if she could find her way around this vessel blindfolded. She glances up and see's a dark shadow standing at the top of the stairs and her breath catches in her throat. Could it really be him? Was this indeed happening for real or was it just another dream? She watches as the shadow slowly walks down the stairs, reaching the bottom, an unmistakeable voice orders the crew to set sail immediately, this was the same voice she had heard in her chambers this morning. The form continues to slowly saunter towards her in the black night and if it weren't for the flashes of lightning and streams of moonlight shining through the breaks in the clouds, she would not see anything at all. He stopped in front of her and spoke not a word, she could feel his eyes taking her in and saw the sparkle of his silver and gold teeth when he smiled. Now if only he would touch her so she'd know for sure it was him, that this wasn't a dream. As if reading her thoughts, he reaches out to her and pulls her close, leans in and kisses her deeply, stealing her breath away.

"Elizabeth" he whispers as he breaks the kiss and strokes her face with his hand, moving a couple strands of hair over her shoulders. "I told you I'd come back to you."

"Jack!" Elizabeth replies breathlessly. "I thought you were gone forever."

"It's hard to keep a good man down, darling" Jack teased, continuing to run his fingers through her hair.

"I've waited so long, so very long" she whimpered, a tear falling down her cheek.

"I couldn't disappoint you, love. Tis true, I've been gone from you for a long time, probably longer than I should have been. I've met beautiful women, goddesses and even had lures of immortality, but thoughts of you only helped to lead me back home." he smiled lovingly at her.

" When I saw you this morning I thought you were a dream, you've been part of my dreams for a very long time and I thought I was going mad." Elizabeth explained, not letting go of Jack for fear that he'd disappear from her again.

"Not a dream, darling. Which reminds me, we have no rum on board. I think I know where we can stock up though, I certainly can't have you getting thirsty, can I? he winked knowingly at her.

"What about the Royal Navy?" she asked, concerned. "I'm the governor's daughter, I'm sure the entire royal fleet will be out looking for me once they discover I'm gone."

"That's what these are for." he explains, holding up the letters of marque he had picked up off of the floor earlier in the day. "One look at these and there'll be nothing for them to do but turn around and leave us in peace, that is of course, if that's what you truly want. Is it Elizabeth? Or are you having second thoughts about me after all this time?"

She looks at him and pulls herself close, gazing into his eyes and knowing her answer without even having to think about it.

"Well," she smiled, "I did marry you, didn't I?"

He looks back at her and returns her smile.

"Yes love, you did. But that was a long time ago and we never did get our wedding night. I thought perhaps..."

She presses her lips to his in an effort to silence him, then pulls away.

"Enough of this. I forgive you for our past, besides, you proved you were a good man and did the right thing. You came back." she reasoned

"Aye. I came back a new man, Lizzie, and now I'm ready to give myself to you, and only you. If you'll have me?"

"I'll have you right now, Captain Sparrow" she replies seductively, leading him towards the captain's cabin.

They approach the door, Elizabeth is about to step through when Jack stops her.

"Allow me, Mrs Sparrow" he says as he scoops her up in his arms and carries her across the threshold. "Afterall, it _is_ our wedding night."

He closes the door behind him and steps into the room, walks over to the bed and gently lays her down. He stands for a moment, admiring her beauty and wonders how he could have been led so far astray from something so perfect. Something so beautiful. This woman, this goddess, had lead him home and for the first time in his existence he felt fulfilled.

"Jack?" she questioned. "I saw the Interceptor sailing off as I was being brought onboard. Who was that at the wheel?"

"Nobody's going to say Captain Jack Sparrow isn't a man of his word, love. That ship is now in the possession of Anamaria, just as I promised. Now then, speaking of keeping one's word, I believe this belongs to you? Afterall, you're the bride"

He reaches over and picks up a beautiful golden chalice from a bedside table, he had already filled it with rum.

Elizabeth's eyes widen as she takes the chalice and examines it closely.

"Jack, where did you..." but before she has a chance to complete her thought, he interrupts her.

"Yes, I know what you're going to say. But I found a spare bottle of rum below deck, I forgot I had hidden it there a few months back when I thought Gibbs was going to drink the ship dry, savvy?"

"No, Jack, I mean..."

"Have I ever told you how captivating you are in that dress, darling? It suits you, has anyone told you that? You look like a goddess...my goddess." he descends upon her and silences her ending the conversation.

The Black Pearl, now out of sight of Port Royal, sails off into the night, inside a husband and wife who had been separated for so long, who had kept their secret safe from others for even longer, started anew. They wasted not a single moment in making up for their time apart and by the end of the night, they knew each other as well as if they'd been together for an eternity.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

"The sun's up, let's make way!" said Will Turner, more anxious than ever to pursue the pirates that invaded Port Royal the night before.

"Wait! Let me see that medallion." ordered Governor Swann.

Will reluctantly handed it to him and watched as he turned it over in his hands.

"Where did she get this?" Norrington asked, worriedly.

"I don't know" Will replied anxiously "I found it in her bureau drawer." he looked away from the governor, unable to hold his gaze.

"I think I know" Weatherby Swann replied as he walked over to the open window and looked out to sea.

"Governor?" Norrington questioned, Will shifted nervously.

"I thought she was safe enough when I sent her to care for young Mr Turner, but I guess he must have gotten to her without me realizing. I tried to protect her as best as I could! That medallion was a warning for me and I failed to heed it! Oh Elizabeth, please forgive me!" the governor collapses into a chair, shaking his head, still holding the medallion in his grasp. "What if he hurt her? Oh what if he..."

"Married her." Norrington spoke up.

"What?" both Will and the Governor reply.

The admiral holds up a certificate, Weatherby and Will both hurry over and begin to read.

"A marriage certificate. Jack Sparrow? Why, this is dated 8 years ago, on Elizabeth's 18th birthday. I don't understand." the governor said, shaking his head in confusion.

"Perhaps, it's hiding place might shed some light on things, governor" Norrington said as he handed Weatherby a copy of a book he had found laying in the same drawer as the medallion. He takes it and looks at the title "The Odyssey" by Homer. Opening the book he finds one particular page with it's corner folded down and as he begins to read the passage, he recognizes it as the story Odysseus returning to his beloved wife, Penelope after many long years of her waiting for his return. He recalls the story from when he was young and remembers that Penelope put off making a decision of which suitor to marry by weaving a buriel cloth for Odysseus' father, saying that she'd have a decision when she completes cloth. Unbeknownst to them was that each night she'd unravel a portion of the cloth and start again the following evening, thus putting off her decision as long as possible, in hopes that her husband would return. Thinking back, he realizes that this is exactly what Elizabeth had been doing for the past 8 years. Often times he had encouraged her to choose a suitor, but she always side-stepped the decision and steered things off course. The governor had marked it down to immaturity, but now he knew the truth. Turning to the inside front cover he saw this simple inscription:

Dearest Elizabeth,

I shall return for you, darling.

Forever yours,

Jack

"They loved each other" he said with resolve. "This marriage was a choice, not a condition."

"What do you mean?" said Will, not fully realizing what the governor was trying to say.

"It all happened many years ago, I was young and foolish and very much in love. I was captain of a ship of the fleet from the East India Trading Company. It was during a passage to Ireland when I first spotted her swimming off the starboard bow. She was beautiful, and she had the voice of an angel, I just couldn't resist. She was...a mermaid, and her beauty called to me like nothing before ever had.

_"Captain Swann!" the young sailer cried out. "It's a mermaid! She appears to be caught on our tow lines, what should we do?"_

_"Bring her onboard...GENTLY. We musn't harm her in any way" the captain replied._

_"But sir! Tis bad luck to even SEE one, if we bring her aboard we'll be wrecked for sure!" the young sailer pleaded, the others standing behind him in silent support._

_"Do as I command, sailor, lest this voyage will be your last with or without a mermaid on board, is that understood?"_

_Looking at the captain as if he's mad, the young seaman reluctantly agrees. "Aye, Captain. Haul her aboard!"_

_The captain watched anxiously as she was brought up and over the edge of the railing, her tail thrashing in resistance._

_Once on deck she looked about at her surroundings, terrified, quite literally a fish out of water. Her eyes flashed wildly and she tried to wiggle her way overboard but she was wrapped too tightly in the rope. Weatherby slowly approached her and was instantly captivated by her beauty. Her hair was long and blonde, her breasts concealed by two half seashells the colour of coral and around her neck she wore a beautiful gold pendant with an oval shaped, green stone. The captain knew about mermaids, was quite familiar with their legends, and was well aware that in order to keep this creature as his own, he must steal and hide an object of hers that represents her magic. Eyeing the pendant around her graceful neck, he knows he has found what he seeks and quickly tugs it off of her neck, breaking the chain easily and causing her to cry out in fear and shock. He decided the only way to hide this object from her so that neither she nor anyone else would ever find it, would be to toss it over the ships side and into the depths of the sea. She cries as she see's him walk away with her necklace, and it just about breaks his heart. He can see this item is far more precious to her than merely a magical object that will cause her to forget her past once it is hidden from her, and for one brief moment he reconsiders. He continues to hold the necklace, dangling it over the edge while watching her reach for it as a trail of tears stream down her face, eyes pleading with him for it's return. But before he comes to his decision, the ship crests an unexpectedly rough wave and the pendant falls overboard and into the depths below. _

_She screams._

_He watches her, horrified at what he has done._

_She lays down on the deck and surrenders herself to him, her tail slowly transforms into legs and scales turn into flawless, silk-like skin. She closes her eyes and falls into unconsiousness._

"We lived...3 years together as man and wife." The governor turns and faces Will. "She_ did _grow to love me, you know. She gave me a single child and it was the best gift I could have ever received from her. I like to think that gift was her way of forgiving me, even if she _couldn't _recall her past." Tears began to form in his eyes but he quickly blinked them back.

"Elizabeth" Will whispered.

The governor nods then continues. "We were a happy family, I took good care of them both. Her name was Grace, I named her that because it described her perfectly. Both she and Elizabeth had the finest gowns, servants at their beck and call and as many gifts and trinkets as I could possibly shower on them. Grace was an excellent mother, doting upon Elizabeth, telling her stories and singing her songs, she had a wonderful childhood. Yes, Elizabeth was quite happy...but her mother...well...there were times when I think she _did_ remember her past. I often caught her gazing out to the sea, lost in thought, of course she always had a smile for me and told me she was thinking about me and Elizabeth, but I could see something more, something that not even _she_ was aware of.

It was a dull and dreary afternoon that I found her sitting at the window, once again gazing out over the horizon. She looked particularly lost that day and I thought perhaps a voyage aboard my ship might be the answer for her. She jumped at the chance and quickly began to pack hers and Elizabeth's things for the trip. Little did I know, I had sealed all of our fates.

The first few days out went smoothly. Elizabeth was only three at the time and was quite mesmorized by the rise and fall of the ocean's waves. Her mother encouraged this along by telling her tales of pirates, something I questioned the propriety of. But Grace was a strong, determined woman and she assured me that this was exactly the type of stimulation young Elizabeth needed. She was right, of course, Elizabeth thrived on the stories and songs, but I often wondered where Grace gained knowledge of them. Soon I would get my answer.

The fifth day into the voyage and the first signs of things beginning to go badly started to surface. This was supposed to be a short trip from England to Italy, but word got sent that we were to deliver our cargo further afield...to Singapore. I could have turned around, _should_ have turned around and left Elizabeth and her mother back in England, but I didn't want to lose any more time than we already had. I had a fresh group of recruits onboard, but a few were well-seasoned and didn't take kindly to not getting their shoreleave as promised. So, a quick stop in Venice to stock our ship with more provisions and we were off again.

The night before we were due to arrive the men decided to celebrate, I being the captain, allowed it to take place when really I should have thought about who exactly was onboard. One of the older sailors, I believe you know him as Hector Barbossa, took quite a shine to Grace, often taking the time to speak to her and point out the constellations in the night sky. She told me she was quite fond of him and very much enjoyed his company and sharing of knowledge. During this evening however, he pushed things too far with her, cornered her in the galley of the ship and tried to...well...you can imagine what a drunken sailor has on his mind in the presence of a beautiful woman. I never trusted Barbossa alone with her, and made a point of telling Grace that if she insisted on having these conversations with him, she at least keep a blade handy. Once again, this was a poor decision on my part, for when she was cornered in the ship by Barbossa she did infact reach for the blade she had secured in her boots.

I don't know exactly what happened, but I heard a scream and when I arrived I found my darling Grace lying on the floor, her own knife plunged into her heart. Her dress, the very one I presented to Elizabeth yesterday morning, had been removed and tossed aside and she was left to bleed to death in only her shift. It was her favorite dress. I knelt down and tried to warm her shivering body, assuring her that she'd be fine, but I could see in her eyes that I was losing her. She spoke a single word, "Barbossa" then locked her gaze on me and smiled, closed her eyes and slipped away. It was the first time I had ever seen her truly at peace and my worst nightmare had come true.

I carried her back to our cabin and lay with her all night, Elizabeth slept quietly in her own bed in the corner, never knowing the true fate of her mother. Just before dawn I gathered some of the crew and arranged to have Grace wrapped in the finest silk that we had onboard. I wrapped her body myself and had the men carry her to the edge, then, I put her back to where I first found her...to where I should have left her. I surrendered her body to the sea."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Will stood in a stunned silence, hardly believing what he was hearing. Stories of mermaids, or better yet, that his beloved Elizabeth was a descendant of one? Surely the governor must have lost his mind from grief.

"If I may say so, Governor. I'm sure you suffered a tremedous loss when your wife passed away, and for certain it's an equally tragic event to lose your daughter to pirates, but I think it would be in all of our best interests to stay grounded" Will spoke up.

"Are you saying, Lieutenant, that I'm nothing but a broken down old man whose mind is playing tricks on him during his time of grief?" he shot back, angered at Will for not taking him seriously.

"I'm saying" Will replied, "that perhaps the trauma of recent events has caused your memories to play tricks. I'm sure it's a common occurance and..."

"Lieutenant Turner!" Admiral Norrington interjected. "I can assure you there's nothing wrong with Governor Swann's memory."

Will looked at Norington, shocked.

"You see, I was there. I was one of the new recruits he had onboard during that initial crossing and t'was I who helped wrap and carry Mrs Swann's body for her buriel at sea."

"But that doesn't mean the rest of the story is accurate, my apologies Governor if my opinion seems strong, but surely you can both see my logic?"

"Come sit down, son" Govenor Swann beckoned softly for Will to take a seat. "There's more to this story."

_"You! Norrington, is it? In light of recent events I hereby put you in charge of the crew for the remainder of the voyage. As soon as we reach port, unload, restock provisions as quickly as possible and be sure to have Hector Barbossa arrested. In the meantime, help the others search the ship for Barbossa and lock him in the hold once you find him."_

_"Aye, Captain" James acknowledged, then went about executing his orders._

_Weatherby returned to his cabin and his daughter who still lay sleeping in her bed. Dressed in clothes more suited for a boy, Elizabeth was a picture of beauty, even at a young age. She looked remarkably like her mother._

_Sitting next to the sleeping child, keeping watch, was another new recruit. A little older than Norrington, with a year's more experience but just one look at this man and you could see that he thought himself superior to just about everyone onboard, including the captain._

_"Captain Swann! Your daughter is sleeping soundly. Now that you've returned I shall unburden you from the concerns of running this ship for the return voyage, if you so choose."_

_"I thank you, Beckett, but I've already appointed that detail to James Norrington, I'm sure he'll do a fine job. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to be alone with my daughter. I'm afraid I'm going to have to break her heart."_

_Cutler Beckett, looking angered by what he has heard, pulls himself together before he responds._

_"Of course, Captain" heading for the door to leave, he stops and turns "Apologies captain, but I must ask. Do you think James Norrington is the right choice for this task? He's only been a member of this crew for nigh on 3 months and is only just getting his sea legs now. In light of what has happened, perhaps it would be better if a more experienced sailor were to take charge of the crew?"_

_The captain knew he was right, but he really didn't like this man at all, believing in his heart of hearts that Beckett would go for blood if given the chance. But, in that same instance, he was also a coward. Many times he'd shirk his duties on deck during a potential hostile takeover, most usually pirates, and during these times Cutler was nowhere to be seen. Once the squirmish was over, he'd magically reappear and dismiss his absence as that of necessity, usually due to having to deal with a problem in the cargo hold. Captain Swann knew different, he often saw the fear in the young Officer's eyes and he wondered how or why he had ever wanted a station onboard a merchant ship...or any ship for that matter._

_"I appreciate your concern, but Norrington has proven himself quite capable of commanding these men. They admire and respect him, I believe he's to be the proper choice in this situation. Now...go about your duties."_

_"Aye, Captain" Cutler responded, but it was obvious by his tone, he wasn't happy._

_A few hours later, Norrington returned and broke the bad news to Weatherby, Barbossa had left the ship in Singapore, nobody was quite sure how but a thorough search and he was nowhere to be found. The captain, expecting this sort of news, simply nodded his head, resigned. He'd send message upon his return to England and a full search would be done. The shore officials in Singapore had been made aware of the situation, but seemed barely interested in finding a rogue sailor who killed a mere woman. _

_"If we're fully stocked up I'd like to set sail, is everything in order?" he asked._

_"Aye, Captain. On your word."_

_Captain Swann sent the orders and they were on their way again, for the longer than long return trip to England._

_A sullen mood hung over the ship during this voyage. Although the men had only seen the captain's beautiful wife in passing, they were all quite captivated not only with her beauty, but with a cetain enthusiasm that she exhibited while onboard. She never said much to them, only smiled, but when she looked out to sea something warmed that smile of hers and made it contagious to all that gazed upon it. Now, that was gone. It was like it was she who kept the morale up, even at a time when it was teetering on turmoil, now the men neither fought nor celebrated, they simply wanted to go home._

_About 3 days short of their arrival back in England, a terrible storm brewed up one evening. The waves were so turbulent and forceful that every available man was needed on deck just to keep the ship upright and on reasonable course. Captain Swann kept young Elizabeth closer than usual this night, something did not sit right in his mind and he didn't want her out of his sight. As the sailors fought the driving rain and wind, the captain noticed just off the port side, a dark shadow appoaching. With the rain and sea spray hitting his eyes, stinging them and making them difficult to focus, he thought he made out the shape of a ship. What seemed so very odd, was that this ship wasn't fighting the elements nearly as hard as they. He watched cautiously as the ship drew closer and eventually he could make out it's figurehead which looked to be that of a woman. She was wearing boots, her hair was long and fell down across her back, her dress was pulled aside revealing both of her breasts in a shameless display, her right arm was raised to the sky as if in a wave. Weatherby studied the ship carefully and was suddenly caught offguard by some movement behind him. Instinctively, he turned back inside his cabin and gathered his daughter, something was telling him that things weren't right. Before he had a chance to leave to the safety of the others, a shadow stood in his doorway, blocking his path._

_"What is the meaning of this? Get out of my way!" Captain Swann commanded._

_"Where is she?" the shadow replied._

_"Where is who? I don't know what you're talking about. There are no women onboard this ship!"_

_"The woman. The one you picked out of the water 4 years ago. Where is she?_

_"This is ridiculous. I picked no woman from the water."_

_The shadow steps in and closes the door. In the darkness of the cabin his voice is low and ragged._

_"I know your little secret, Captain Swann. I know about your wife. Now tell me, where is she?"_

_Starting to tremble, Weatherby didn't exactly understand what was happening and thought perhaps he was being blamed for his wife's murder._

_"It wasn't I!" he cried. "It was Barbossa. I tried to stop her, tried to warn her and protect her, but she had such a strong will. How could I deny her any sort of pleasures on land when I was responsible for taking her away from her true love. I just couldn't. But I made it right in her death, I returned her to the sea. Believe me if I could do it all over again, I'd have left her free. Now my only memory I have of her is our daughter, Elizabeth." _

_Tears rolling down his face as he speaks his confession, he pulls Elizabeth close, she holds his hand and looks wide-eyed at the man who she see's making her father cry._

_The shadow stands silently for a moment then speaks in an angry tone._

_"You killed her?"_

_"I didn't. I tried to..."_

_"You did! Had you left her where she was meant to be, she'd still be safe, but you didn't. You stole her from where she belonged. From where she was loved and cherished and all for your own selfish reasons, no doubt. Now, you want to deny that same opportunity to her daughter? I can't let you do that."_

_The shadow reaches for the little girl, but Elizabeth pulls away and clings to her father's leg in fear. Tears start to fall from her eyes and the man pulls away, clearly she does not want to leave._

_"You can't do this to a child! I don't know who you are or what you intend to do, but Elizabeth is my daughter as well and I won't let you or anyone else cause her any harm or grief."_

_"What I intend to do, Captain, is bring this child back to where she came from. She may be your daughter, but she's also her mother's daughter, and we both know what her mother was. She deserves that life just as much as she deserves the life of a human, don't you think?"_

_"Then because she deserves it, don't you think it should be left up to her to decide? Clearly she does NOT want to go with you."_

_"I'll make you a deal, Captain. The girl stays with you for now, but on her eighteenth birthday, if she has proven to have the same desires and longings as her mother, she can be given the choice of leaving and never stepping foot on land again if she so chooses."_

_"Never!" the Captain cried. "I'll not agree to such terms!"_

_"Then I'm afraid she'll have to come with me or else I'll have to turn you in for poaching, Captain Swann. You do realize that the penalty for poaching is to be hanged by the neck?"_

_Weatherby, not happy with what he has heard but realizing he has no choice, agrees. _

_The shadow kneels down in front of the child, the room much to dark to see his face. He notices the red scarf she wears around her head and begins to untie it._

_"What's this? Why is she dressed like a pirate?" the shadow asked as he carefully removes the scarf_

_"What are you doing?" the captain cried out. "That belonged to her mother and she always dressed Elizabeth like that. Please give it back to her!"_

_"I'll be needing this for the time being, captain, but don't worry. I've no intention of not letting her see it again."_

_He stands and walks to the door but before he goes out he reminds Weatherby of their deal._

_"Remember." was his only word._

_Once outside, the shadow makes a silent vow to the slain mother of the child. He promises to keep her safe and to bring her home where she belongs._


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

"I never saw him again after that. I didn't even know who he was until now, but it's all so crystal clear at this moment. How could I have been so blind? I tried to push her into the high society life, was so sure she'd prefer that to a life at sea. But I guess a father doesn't always know what's best."

"What do we do now, Governor?" Will asked.

"I'm afraid, dear boy, there's nothing we_ can _do. Elizabeth made her choice a long time ago and she kept it a secret from all of us. I simply cannot hurt my daughter. This is the path she has chosen and this is something we'll all have to accept."

"But how do we know for sure? Perhaps Sparrow kidnapped her?"

The governor stood up and walked over to his daughter's night stand, he picked up a worn piece of parchment that was set on top and began to read.

"Gallant Captain, show some mercy

To a lady in distress

Leave me not within this city,

I shall die of heaviness"

Will frowned at this. "Governor Swann?"

Weatherby raised his eyes and offered a slight grin. "She always kept this by her bed, she told me it was her favorite and that she'd read it every night because it reminded her of her mother. Her mother taught this to her so perhaps it did. But I think deep in her heart, she read it because it reminded her of him. She was calling to him, pleading to him to return to her. This was not a kidnapping, Will. She loved him."

"But what if Sparrow doesn't love her? He's a pirate, he'll fall out of love at the very next port that even hints of wickedness We must go to her!" Will sounded adament.

"He loves her too!" Norrington spoke up.

Both Governor Swann and Will turned and looked questioningly at the Admiral.

"Once we returned to England, I joined the British Navy. It was during my first voyage as a military man that I met Jack Sparrow, he was a helmsman of an East India Trading Company ship called _The Wicked Wench. _Without getting into the particulars, let's just say we had words and during that moment he revealed to me his plans to woo a young woman of high society. Elizabeth, at the time, was still quite young so I wasn't concerned for her welfare. As much as I loathed this man, I could tell by how tenderly he spoke that his intentions were honourable. He never mentioned exactly how he planned to achieve this feat of winning the heart of a woman who was clearly above him in station, but he hinted that he'd do whatever was necessary to reach his goal. I never saw him again until..." he turns to the governor..."Do forgive me. I never saw him again until our crossing from England to Port Royal. One of our younger officers looked vaguely familiar and I couldn't quite figure out why. When I _did_ discover his identity I kept it a secret, I thought I was in control of the situation. I should have told you Governor Swann, right then and there, but I felt my position as a member of the Royal Navy was in jeopardy. I couldn't have the King finding out that the man who had been sent to eliminate pirates, had been fooled by one himself. I was surprised to see that Sparrow had turned pirate. I thought perhaps his plan to win the lovely, upper class, society woman had failed and in his grief he had turned to piracy as a form of revenge. I was wrong."

Will, surprised to hear the admiral finally confess to those events that happened so long ago, said nothing, nor did Norrington ever implicate him in these events. Will was grateful for this, he had worked hard to build his career and put an equal effort into winning the hand of Elizabeth, he didn't want his efforts thwarted.

Will swallowed. "What do you mean?"

" I mean, Lieutenant, that Sparrow did not turn pirate from having his heart broken. He turned pirate because he was doing what he knew he had to do in order to win that high society girl. Now that I've heard the governor's story, it all makes sense. He knew of Elizabeth's mother's love of the sea and he could see the transference into her daughter. He turned pirate, because he knew it would please her and because he loves her." Norrington's voice trails off as the reality of his words finally sink in. Norrington loved her too, but it took something like this for him to finally realize the depths of his love. He laughs to himself at the irony. The thing he loved most about her - her free spirit and independent nature - was what took her away from him. Now all he has, are memories of what might have been.

Will starts to let it all sink in as well, it's difficult for him to accept that the woman he loves is in love with a pirate and probably always _has_ been in love with a pirate. What's more, is that a pirate is in love with her, so much so that he was willing to do "whatever's necessary" to win her. How did he do it? How could a pirate succeed at winning the heart of a girl like Elizabeth? He didn't understand, he'd done everything properly, followed all the rules of propriety _("The only rules that really matter are these - what a man can do and what a man can't do.")_ but still he failed to win her heart, yet a filthy, dirty pirate managed to accomplish years ago what he had been struggling to do just recently. He simply did not understand.

Governor Swann interrupts Will's thoughts.

"So you see, Will. Going after her would be futile, there's nothing any of us can do except love her. I learned a long time ago that there are just some things you can't take, and even if you managed to secure them in your possession, you can never really have it as your own. We can't take back what has never belonged to us, son."

The three men look back towards the sea, each realizing that they have probably lost the most precious thing in the world to them but also realizing that they love her enough to allow themselves to lose her. They have redeemed themselves. They have set her free.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

In the dark cabin of the Pearl, Elizabeth is wrapped in Jack's protective arms, holding her tightly against him as they lay on the bed. She has never felt so content or so in love.

"I don't know why," Elizabeth begins "but I feel like I've never been gone. It's strange."

Jack pushes her on to her back and looks into her eyes as he begins to speak, his tone quite serious.

"Elizabeth, I need to show you something, but first you have to tell me that you trust me."

"I trust you, Jack. I know you'd never harm me."

"Well then, I need you to close your eyes for a moment, savvy?"

Elizabeth closes her eyes and waits. She hears Jack fumbling and the rustle of something soft, then she feels his hands running down her cheeks.

"Now then, in a moment I'm going to have you open your eyes, you may be shocked by what you see but I assure you there's no reason to be frightened. Are you ready, darling?" he whispered.

Elizabeth nods her response, her mouth to dry with anticipation to be able to speak.

"Alright. Open up."

She opens her eyes and see's that Jack has removed his bandana, he reaches out and pulls her to an upright position then begins to wrap the scarf around Eliabeth's head. He finishes tying it off and says a single word - but it's enough to hit it's mark.

"Remember" he whispers.

All at once, Elizabeth _did_ remember. She remembered her mother with crystal clarity, she remembered a life beneath the waves that she had never lived herself, but most of all, she remembered a love that ran so deeply, that not even the separation of him from her and her from him, nor death in it's most final form, could keep them apart. She remembered.

"Jack? I remember everything. I'm carrying my mother's memories too. You loved her, just as you love me, and she loved you just as I do. How did you do this? How am I able to remember such things?"

"Do you remember the sea?" he asked

"Yes, I can see myself swimming through the water, as well as any fish of sea creature and I can breathe as well. Jack! I _am_ the sea!"

"Look closer, love. You'll see the whole truth."

Elizabeth did look closer, and she did see the whole truth. She saw herself, not as a young society woman, but as a beautiful mermaid who was able to swim as freely as any sea creature could possibly swim. But, she also saw something else, she saw even deeper into herself and realized that being a mermaid was only the surface of her true self. She was a goddess, just as Jack had said, and she was his. The last few lines of her favorite verse ran through her mind.

"Tis an empty mockery to set me free

While my heart in prison still remains with thee.

Well in troth, wil I endure extremity

I could find in heart to lose my life for thee."

So that's how she survived waiting for him for so long. He had married her because he loved her and to give her heart something to help endure the years she would spend locked up in her prison of high society while he was away. He knew that she would perish without a bond to him. He too, had set her free.

She opened her eyes and removed the scarf then reached over and began to put it back on Jack.

"No love, it's yours. I promised your father I'd give it back to you. It once belonged to your mother before it belonged to you and the only way I could make you remember your true self was to take something of yours that represented your magic. Now that you remember, you're free to return to the life that was taken from you." he said, looking rather downcast.

"But I'm a goddess too, and if I stay a goddess not only can I walk on land, but I can stay with my husband. Together, we can sail just like you said. Wherever we want to go, we'll go. We've got the Pearl, we're finally free."

"Are you sure, Elizabeth? I made a promise to your mother to bring you back, and I don't want you to make this decision on my account. You've sacrifced enough."

"I'm sure, I've never been so sure, actually. Does my decision disappoint you? she asked, rather concerned that she had let him down.

"Not at all, love. I've never been so happy, actually."

She smiles at him then reaches in and kisses him.

"Then keep my scarf, I trust you with my life." she replies as she draws back from the kiss.

"One question about my mother. You loved her. Was she beautiful?" Elizabeth asked with much curiosity. She couldn't remember what her mother looked like.

"Darling," he whispered as he stroked her hair, "She was the most beautiful creature I've ever seen, and when I look at you, it's like she's standing in front of me again. I love you, Elizabeth."

He smiles and lays her back on the bed, they wrap their arms around each other and two beings who had been separated for so long were finally together again. Nothing could keep them apart, and nothing would separate them again. Their love would last an eternity.

Night had fallen on the small mexican town, festivities could be heard and laughter and music filled the air. The citizens were oblivious to the dark ship that anchored just over the horizon, two figures standing on it's deck locked in each other's embrace, watching the shore, waiting to embark on another journey - another adventure. A pirate and a goddess. There was gold to be plundered and an Aztek curse to be placed.

Back at Port Royal a young Lieutenant carefully studies a gold medallion. He knows the origin and wonders why the pirate placed it around his neck after he left the burning ship. Perhaps tomorrow he would give the matter some more thoughts, but for now, he closes his eyes and dreams of pirates.


End file.
